Madhavan Praises Mani Ratnam Giving All the Credit

Madhavan, a popular star of Southern Indian film industry, has recently talked about his latest movie named Guru. In the movie, he played the role of an honest journalist. Madhavan gave all the credit of to his teacher and the director of the movie Mani Ratnam. I am quoting his speech from a Indiaglitz report:

I have no qualms playing a cameo in Guru. I am happy that I was part of a Manirathnam film,” says Madhavan.

Though it was a brief role, people appreciate my performance and all credits should go to Mani sir for it.

If Mani sir helped me get my basics right, Kamal Hassan polished my acting skills in doing comical roles. People around me said that my role would be subdued when acting alongside Kamal. But he encouraged me and gave me enough screen space in Anbae Sivam.

In the movie Vidya Balan played the role of his wife. Though he was accused of shooting in an obscene scene in the movie with Vidya Balan, Madhavan has showed his best performance in the movie Guru which is really essential for an Industry.

Abhishek Bachchan in Guru

Mani Ratnam’s recent movie Guru has been doing well in the screens al over the India since its release on last Friday. Though it is not possible to comment on its success in the box office as Guru is still less than a week old, the movie has already created much hymn and has already been considered as the first super hit movie of the year. Guru is a story of a village boy who reaches to his goal in the life with his courage and working hard mentality. He always gets his wife Sujatha standing by him both in success and struggle. This two protagonists’ role are seen playing by Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. The movie is totally a tale of the life of this successful man, Guru (played by Abhishek Bachchan), who becomes one of the topmost businessmen in his country, is enough for getting the tag of an inspirational character which depicts the life of a young businessmen indicating his initial obstacles, overcoming those obstacles and getting into a new environment of being a rich man and facing some unwanted and scandalous situations.

Abhishek Bachchan has undoubtedly showed his best acting skill ever in the film Guru. The performance he showed in Guru deserves to be a milestone in his acting career. Through this movie Abhishek again proves that at present, he is one of the best actors for serious type character in the industry. The character well-proves how much effort Abhishek had to give to play the role. Having seen the movie I could well understand that for playing the role of Guru, an actor needs to have the quality of being adopted with different situation, environment and age in the same movie. For playing the aged part of the businessman, Abhishek had to get some extra physical weight in order to make the role perfect. Guru’s patience, working hard, confidence, honesty and determination make him a successful businessman in the country and this entire feature of Guru comes out through the excellent acting performance of Bachchan Jr. From that point of view, I think, Abhishek has done his job successfully.

From another point of view, you can also term the movie as a pure love story. I think, the way of love seen in the movie is something unconventional comparing with majority Bollywood movies. In other movies love begins between a boy and girls before they get married and then after a series of obstacles their love comes into existence through marriage whereas in Guru, the love between two protagonist roles starts after they get married. Initially, Guru’s wife Sujata (played by Aishwarya Rai) does not agree to marry Guru but being pressurized by her father she agrees to marry Guru and is sent to Bombay with Guru. The love starts when this couple comes to Bombay and faces the harsh reality. Abhishek could perfectly show a role of loving and responsible husband who loves her better halves very much. There are some minor misunderstandings between the couple which add some extra features to their love. Thus their relationship becomes stronger and their desire to each other gets an extra pace. In later part of the movie, it is seen that Guru and Sujata as an aged couple remember their youth life and becomes nostalgic where Abhishek seems to show some of his best acting skills.

I think, in the movie Guru, Abhishek showed a remarkable performance which proves that his acting talent is getting flourished and the movie can bring out a big turn in his career.

Guru: After Canada Its America

Normally, something first comes to the US and then goes to Canada. Well, for the Bollywood movies Guru (2007), it was an exception. First, it charmed the audience in Canada and then it came to the US. In the US, it got huge welcome from the audience too. It was such a big matter in the US that even the New York Times wrote about it:

Roopam Jain craned for a view of the celebrities on Friday night, jostling with dozens of other fans. He called his wife by cellphone, warning that she was about to miss the grand arrivals.

“It’s incredible to find something like this in New York,” Mr. Jain said.

Mr. and Mrs. Jain, who live in Alpine, N.J., had tickets to a premiere that heralded not only the arrival of a movie, but also a growing cultural phenomenon.

The red-carpet event was for a movie called “Guru,” and was rare American treatment for a feature from Bollywood, the Mumbai-based film industry.

Two of Bollywood’s biggest stars, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, finally did touch down in Times Square Friday night, as their film opened around the world.

It is old news but I have to say that I got chocked to the amount of coverage given by the New York Times about Guru. Thus, Guru will perhaps work as a turning point in the US about Bollywood movies. We will surely see more Bollywood movies making headlines in America in 2007.

Guru Storms USA

Until now, Hollywood films create all the excitement in India and Bollywood films hardly can create even a drizzle in the US. Guru 2007 is changing this scenario even a bit and that is just simply great.

Earth Times wrote:

A red-carpet showing of the Bollywood film Guru in New York helped the Indian film industry strengthen its position in the United States. The New York Times reported that in attendance at Friday's world premiere showing of the drama were Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, two Bollywood stars who are leading the industry's charge into U.S.

theaters.

With seven Hindi-language motion pictures earning more than $2

million in the United States during 2006, the Indian film industry has already begun finding a spot alongside its Hollywood counterpart.

The wind of change is blowing. The good thing is that US market is expanding for Bollywood. Soon, we will see some movies made in Bollywood mainly thinking of the US market. That day may come sooner than expected.

"GURU" makes a GREAT START!!!

Abhishek and Aishwarya’s latest movie, Guru, has been released across India on 12^th January. On its first day, the movie made a huge splash among viewers. People appreciated the movie very much. The main reason behind Guru’s success is Abhishek Bachchan’s outstanding performance. India Glitz, the popular Indian movie website, conducted a survey on the viewers who watched the film for the first time. I am quoting from the report:

Abhishek Bachchan’s performance in ‘Guru’ shall always be referred to as a performance that jolts you. And the Mumbai public agrees with this viewpoint. Although the advance booking in Mumbai has been lowest (10 – 30%) as compared to Chennai (House full for the first two days) and Delhi (50 – 60% advance booking), but when Indiaglitz conducted an exclusive video of ‘Guru’ public opinion after the first day first show yesterday, the overwhelming majority was of the opinion that ‘Guru’ is a landmark film. The dazed expression on their faces said it all.

The story of Guru is based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Group. The movie depicts the life of Gurukant, a villager, who becomes a successful businessman. Abhishek is doing the lead character “Guru”. On the first day, there were not as many viewers as expected but the people who came enjoyed the movie very much. According to the India Glitz report, Mani Rathnam can be referred as the “Master of movie making”. Aishwarya and Abhishek’s pair up was liked by the audience but Aishwarya’s was not very much highlighted in the movie. Viday Balan’s performance was also very much appreciated.

Guru can be considered a milestone is Abhishek’s career. He worked very hard for it. Some movie lovers were so impressed that they said that Bachchan junior has outshone his father. Another report published in Apun ka Choice.com, said Amitabh Bachchan, the megastar himself, admitted that Abhishek has defeated him in acting and he would watch the film hundred times.

A.R. Rahman’s music has always been a plus point for his films and Guru is no exception. The tracks were liked by the audience.

It looks like Abhishek has a good start in 2007. Guru has got green signal from both the critics and the audience. Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks.

Related articles:

India Glitz

Apun ka Choice

IndiaGlitz Reviews Guru

It seems that Guru is now the talk of Internet. All the Bollywood websites are trying to give us the latest news on the movie. Some of them are even coming up with excellent reviews too. IndiaGlitz has a long and well written review about Guru (2007). Faridoon Shahryar has written the review and he wrote:

Master story teller Mani Rathnam is in supreme command as he tells a gripping story in his trademark unusual style. He has used the Art Direction of Samir Chanda to perfection as he recreates the Mumbai Best trams of 1960s, coal engine powered trains and the old model cars on the marine drive promenade are also parked oh-so-casually. The area where Rathnam triumphs the most is his objective viewpoint while handling the context of Gurukant Desai’s success. He doesn’t justify or romanticizes the wrong means employed by Guru in moving up. And the final picture that emanates is that of a man who rose to the top to fall and then rise again. But he is not all black. Or all white. He has shades of grey with warts of blemishes. Yet his basic intentions are honest. The loyalty of the ordinary share holders of Gurkant Desai’s Shakti Industries germinates from transparency. And that’s Guru’s biggest victory.

In the final analysis, Guru’s audacity appeals and repels at the same time. You call him right and wrong in the same breath. But you still feel like favouring him as even if he is doing a wrong, mostly it is meant to oppose the unjust system that listens to nothing except ‘force’ or money power. And Abhishek Bachchan’s body language successfully enacts all these varies shades impeccably.

So, read the review and then go to the cinema hall to watch Guru 2007.

Review of Guru at Apunkachoice.com

Apunkachoice.com is one of the leading web portals on Bollywood. It is one of the top websites on Bollywood too (according to Alexa rating). Naresh Kumar Deoshi has written an excellent review of Guru.

Guru : Movie Review

This is the title of the review. There, Naresh Kumar Deoshi wrote:

A film like ‘Guru’ has not been seen on the Indian screen before. With its powerful story, awesome performances, melodious music ( A R Rahman ), splendid cinematography (Rajiv Menon) and skilled direction, the movie leaves you spellbound. However, two songs in quick succession at the film’s very beginning do make for a bumpy start.

The story picks up when Guru goes to Mumbai where he starts his clothes business. How this visionary with an indomitable spirit fights against all odds and succeeds, makes for a riveting watch. And full credit goes to Abhishek Bachchan who has given the best performance of his career so far. His Guru is full of energy, vivacity and optimism.

What’s commendable is the conviction with which Abhi gets into the skin of his character. His bulky frame moves with a swagger, his penetrating gaze reflects his shrewd business acumen and yet there is a vulnerable side to Guru that shines through now and then. Abhi’s performance is particularly excellent in the second half, when his business begins to sink and he is paralyzed. His monologue in the courtroom (with his lip twitched and his one arm incapacitated) makes him truly deserving of an award.

For the first time, ‘Guru’ offers something to write about chemistry between Abhishek and Aishwarya. There is almost an electric vibe between the two actors and it could verily be seen in the film. Apart from this, Ash’s performance, too, is commendable.

The review is long and in depth. I am sure you would love it whether you have already seen the movie or you are going to the cinema hall to enjoy it. So, visit the website and read the review.

Mani Ratnam on Guru 2007

Mani Ratnam is the director of Guru and he is one of the top directors in Bollywod. He is optimistic that Guru will be a super hit movie and will bring success for him and the crews. He talked about different matters in an interview with Mumbai News. Here is some selected parts from that interview:

• Guru has an unusual cast. What made you sign on unusual suspects like Mallika Sherawat and Mithun Chakraborty?

Mithunda was brilliant to work with. He is so real in his performance. Natural, and with no fuss.

• Mallika has done an item song... Is she a commercial add-on? Did she really trouble you during shooting, as it was said she did?

Mallika was very professional. She had to dance to a number in Istanbul in very cold conditions. She did it very well. There was no fuss and no problem whatsoever. She had done a lot of rehearsals before we left for Turkey and worked long hours there in a belly dancer's costume.

• How much is it a burden to shoot in an alien language - Hindi?

My Hindi is improving in geometric progression. I started at zero and am gradually climbing up. No, I have not abandoned Tamil, if that is what you're asking. I have done five films after Dil Se, three in Tamil and two in Hindi.

• Is it true that you originally wanted Shah Rukh for Guru?

Not at all. Abhishek was the first choice. I would love to do another film with Shah Rukh when I have a subject for him. He is fantastic to work with. He will do anything for a film.

So, visit the website and read the entire interview. It is a nice interview.

Guru and Dhirubhai Ambani: Who Cares?

When people have nothing to do then they waste their time for meaningless debate. Yes, this is what is happening now about the upcoming Bollywood movie Guru (2007). Some people are engaged with the debate whether Guru depicts the life of one of the most successful businessmen in Indian history Dhirubhai Ambani.

Reuters wrote:

Dhirubhai Ambani is India's best known rags-to-riches billionaire, but the makers of a new Bollywood film about a villager who rises to the pinnacle of the corporate world insist the movie is not about him.

"Gurubhai", the name of the lead character in "Guru", rhymes uncannily with the name of the deceased founder of the Reliance group, and both men come from a poor village.

On their journey to the top, both founded their companies in 1958 in India's financial hub of Mumbai and displayed a penchant for getting things done without taking a 'no' for an answer.

One of the promo lines of the film reads: "Think big. Think ahead. Think fast", which matches word-for-word the corporate motto of Ambani.

But the film's director Mani Ratnam told reporters "Guru", which opens on Friday, was largely fictional.

"It is about the journey of a man at a point of time in India who is trying to reach where he wants to reach," Ratnam said.

"When you pick a film you pick it because there's an idea which you think will make a film. A lot of stories have a real-life feel and are related to the common man."

Really, I am at a loss to figure out about what is the benefit of this meaningless debate. If you are sure that Guru is indeed based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani then what is the benefit or what is loss? Who cares and why should we even bother? What is important is that whether the movie is of good quality and people like it!

Guru 2007: Fans Spending $500 to Enjoy the Premiere!

The world Premiere of Guru is going to take place after few hours in Toronto, Canada. This is the first time that any Bollywood movie is having its world premiere in Canada and 10,000 fans are expected to come to the street to welcome the leading crews of Guru (2007). Many fans are paying a fortune to enjoy the world premiere of the movie.

The Star reported:

Toronto Mayor David Miller had personally invited the cast for the world premiere after Roger Nair Productions, based in Mississauga, Ont., acquired the Canadian distribution rights of the Hindi film.

Nair said demand for tickets to the gala was hot.

"It is insane. It's insane!" he said Wednesday over the phone, adding that theatres across the country have been calling asking if they can show the film.

Top price for the gala is $500, although fans need wait only another day to see the film at regular box office prices. Guru opens in cities across Canada on Friday.

Toronto is an excellent place to launch the film because of the region's large South Asian community, said Finestone.

$500 is a lot of money in any country. I must admit that I would never spend such a huge amount of money to join the world premiere of any movie. Well, those people who have enough money- this is not a significant amount and I understand that. I am only happy that Bollywood movies are attracting more people in the west.

Manirathinam and Guru (2007)

Manirathinam is a very successful director in Bollywood. He is selective about movies and whenever he directs a movie the viewers can expect something exceptional and special. IndiaGlitz has published a report based on talking to Manirathinam. It wrote:

Speaking about Guru, the director said that it is a movie that traces the life of two characters. The film is an account of the events that occur in their life from their teens till they grow old. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai play couples while Mithun Chakraborthy is cast as a veteran journalist. Madhavan plays a cub reporter under the tutelage of Mithun Chakraborthy. Vidya Balan plays his wife.

The movie has six songs. “It is my 20th directorial venture,” he said.

Good luck to Manirathinam. I think that his main success in Guru is that he has been able to bring out good performance out of the leading players.

Toronto Mayor Invites Guru Crews Personally

Toronto Mayor David Miller is most probably a fan of Hollywood movies rather than Bollywood movies. However, that does not matter as the world premiere of Guru is taking place in his own city, Toronto. He is happy because it will increase the image of Toronto to the outside world and many Bollywood fans will love to visit the city now and in future. If everything goes well then in future we will see more Bollywood movies having their world premiere in Toronto. Realizing the potential of this matter, Toronto Mayor David Miller has invited the crews of Guru personally.

Mangalorean.Com wrote:

Toronto Mayor David Miller has extended a personal invitation to Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and director Mani Ratnam for the global premiere of "Guru". It will be India's first mainstream international premiere in Canada.

"It's a pleasure to host the world premiere of 'Guru' in Toronto. This presentation represents a landmark event for all of Canada. It is an unprecedented occasion for the city to have film artists of the stature of Mani Ratnam, Abhishek and Aishwarya, along with the producer Bobby Bedi who chose to premiere this major film outside India. It is an indication of the high regard Indian filmmakers have for Toronto," said Miller.

"This is an opportunity to bring Indian cinema to a larger appreciative audience and, at the same time, to further develop economic, creative and personal ties between our two countries," Miller added in a press release.

Abhishek, who plays the protagonist in the film loosely based on late business tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani, is pretty excited about the premiere in Canada.

Around 10,000 people are expected to greet the world premiere of Guru- this is a huge crowd by Canadian standard. I hope that Aishwarya is happy that Vidya Balan or Mallika Sherawat will not have the opportunity to meet Toronto mayor personally.

Hottest Actress in Guru (2007): Aishwarya Rai, Vidya Balan or Mallika Sherawat?

There are just few hours before the world premiere of Guru. It is the first big Bollywood movie of the New Year. The central character of the movie is played by Abhishek Bachchan. He is the only lead male actor in this movie. On the other hand, we have at least 3 top class actresses in Guru. They are Aishwarya Rai, Vidya Balan or Mallika Sherawat. Aishwarya Rai is playing as the wife of Guru in the movie. So, she has got the lead female role here. However, Vidya Balan or Mallika Sherawat have a very strong presence too and this is something that has already made Aishwarya uneasy.

Rediff.com has a poll about it and many readers are expressing their support for these actresses. The opinion is divided and this is something that should really make Aishwarya Rai. I saw that many readers are in favor of Vidya Balan. She has a challenging and exceptional role in the movie.

The funny thing is that none of the readers who posted their support in the poll has seen the movie yet.

Guru: The First Big Movie of 2007

There are few days left before Guru hitting the cinema halls in India and abroad. But the speculations are hot that Guru will be the first big Bollywood movie in Bollywood. NDTV movie wrote:

Stock up on the popcorn, book your tickets online and brave the winter chill to stand in swollen queues because this January you are in for a treat with back to back big releases, both Indian and international.

The first big release of the new year, Mani Ratnam's Guru has been in the news for all the right reasons. Not only does it star current couple no 1 Ash and Abhishek, but it also boasts of an A-list ensemble cast and crew.

Southern heartthrob Madhavan, Vidya Balan boosted up with some catchy numbers penned by Gulzar and composed by AR Rahman, Guru will debut at Toronto's historic Elgin Theatre on Jan 11, and release world wide on January 12.

Will it be the final hit for the couple, which has till never fared well onscreen together?

With Abhishek Bachchan playing a villager, a visionary and a winner, and Aishwarya his devoted wife, the film is rumoured to be based not-so-loosely on the late Reliance head Dhirubhai Ambani. But they're not confirming anything.

So, wait eagerly and then go to cinema halls and enjoy Guru.

Leaving out Vidya Balan from Premiere of Guru?

2007 promises to be a great year for Vidya Balan. In this year, she can emerge as one of the very top actresses in Bollywood. She is beautiful and she has an innocent expression in her face which attracts a lot of fans. At the same time, this can make some actresses jealous and insecure too. Well, it is shocking that Aishwarya Rai is feeling threatened from Vidya Balan. ApunKaChoice wrote:

The turn of events suggest that the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai seems to be insecure about Vidya Balan and Mallika Sherawat who also star in the forthcoming film Guru .

According to the latest buzz Mani Ratnam has instructed Roger Productions, the producers, to drop Mallika and Vidya's names from the invitee list from the Toronto premiere of the film.

Rumours are that it was Ash who told Ratnam that she did not want Mallika and Vidya to make their presence felt at the gala event that is to be held in the first week of January.

Mallika is famous for her candid remarks about Aishwarya Rai in the past but Vidya Balan is a gentle girl. Leaving out of her from the Toronto premiere is a pathetic thing done by Aishwarya Rai. Aishwarya Rai should be ashamed of herself.

Guru: Dhirubhai Ambani or Who?

By: Biplob Kishore Deb

Mani Ratnam’s upcoming movie Guru has already created a rumor that it is based on the life of rich person Dhirubhai Ambani, though Ratnam rejected it. However, it has been th most talked issue in the industry and the rumor is getting stronger as the release date of the movie is closer. It is noteworthy that the film Guru is a story of a man named Guru who becomes richest person in the country by his own effort in life. This character will be starred by Abhishek Bachchan. I am quoting some lines from a IBN Live report regarding this news:

“The film is a fiction and like any good fiction if you can relate it to life then the story gets that much more life and root to it. But otherwise the character, situation and the structure of the film is fictional,” Ratman explains.

Ratnam says Guru could represent “anybody who has grown big in life. There are different shades in the film, which we all can relate to”.

So, then is the film inspired by the life of Dhirubhai Ambani?

“I would say that it is not a biography. It is not a real man’s life. It could be the story of several people. It could be the spirit of civil people and that is what we are trying to capture. And in trying to capture that mood you keep it in a setting, which is realistic. Therefore, there are a lot of things which you can connect to,” says Ratnam.

Ratnam also staunchly denied rumours that the Ambanis wanted to see the film before it is released.

“This is not true. No, not at all,” says Ratnam.

The movie has been the subject to be talked much in Bollywood before it’s release. Now it is yet to see how much it will be talked after its release.

Guru Previewed at India Target

India Target has done a preview of Guru. Debtaru De has written the preview.

Movie Preview: GURU

It is a nice review and by visiting this site, you can know about different aspects of the movie. Debtaru De wrote:

The film is set in the 1960s. It is also said that Abhishek Bachchan holds the role of a soldier in the 1857 mutiny in the film. Abhishek maturing from a childlike boy to a man.

He is a man from a small village who wants to become the biggest entrepreneur in Indian history. How he follows his dreams, his visions & how successful he becomes eventually.

A villager, a visionary, a winner, that is what ‘Guru’ is all about.

The preview consists of 5 web pages and it contains a lot of information. So, if you are interested to know about Guru more then visit the website.

Mani Ratnam and Guru

Mani Ratnam is surely one of the most talented directors in India. His movies are always something exceptional. He has created some great movies in Tamil and Hindi. Roja (1992), Bombay (1995) and Dil Se (1998) are great movies that he directed in the past.

Now, he has come back with Guru. Guru is a major challenge for Mani Ratnam because for the last 2-3 years, he was a bit silent in Bollywood. So, the success of Guru will surely help him to revive his career as a top director in Bollywood.

Mani Ratnam is a director who can mix the light hot spice of Bollywood and serious tone of art film. Guru is not an exception either in this regard. You can find the usual song and dance and the display of body parts of the beautiful actresses just like any other Bollywood movie. On the other hand, Guru has a serious story and it represents the history of contemporary Indian society.

Guru at Wikipedia

These days, Wikipedia is a great source of information. You can debate about the quality and accurateness of the content in this free encyclopedia but whenever you search something, you can find that Wikipedia has already covered it. So, no wonder, Wikipedia has already covered the much awaited Bollywood movie, Guru.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_(2006_film)

This is the link of the Wikipedia’s entry on Guru. So, click on the link and visit the page and you can get some good information about the movie. I am just giving here a part from the entry:

Trivia

The Telugu language dubbing rights of this movie were sold to producer N. V. Prasad and will be releasing on January 12, 2007 as Gurukanth. [4]

During a scene, Aishwarya Rai fell and had a few bruises on her hands and feet, so filming had to be suspended for a few hours while she got first aid. [5]

S. Bharathi, a lawyer in real life, plays the role of a marriage registrar in the movie. [6]

So, you can see that the entry is worth reading. So, visit the webpage and read everything you need to know about Guru.

Guru: Aishwarya Could dance Better than Mallika?

All of a sudden, I can find many news items across the Internet about Aishwarya Rai and Mallika. It seems that Mallika is desperate to steal the center stage from Aishwarya. She is surely the under dog here as Aishwarya is a brand name in Bollywood. So, Mallika Sherawat has to try harder to get the attention of the media and the fans. However, according to, dance master Brinda, Aishwarya danced better than Mallika in the Bollywood Movie Guru.

Tamil Sydney wrote:

Speaking about it, Brinda says, "Mallika Sherawat is very talented and has a good heart too. She has done a fantastic job of the tough dance movements in 'Guru.' But when compared to Aishwarya, Mallika comes second place. Even in small movements, Aishwarya is brilliant."

So, no consolation for Mallika Sherawat for the time being. She will just have to work harder to take revenge on Aishwarya Rai. She has one factor on her side, her sex appeal. She is good at wearing short dresses- something which Bollywood fans love too much these days. Better luck next time, Mallika!